Commas: Lists, Clauses, and Introductory Phrases
Practice using commas to make sentences clear
Commas: Lists, Clauses, and Introductory Phrases
Practice using commas to make sentences clear
Language Arts - Grade 4-5
- 1
Add commas to the list in this sentence: Maya packed pencils notebooks crayons and glue for school.
Look for the things Maya packed.
Maya packed pencils, notebooks, crayons, and glue for school. The commas separate the items in the list. - 2
Add commas where needed: For breakfast I ate toast eggs fruit and yogurt.
For breakfast, I ate toast, eggs, fruit, and yogurt. The comma after the introductory phrase helps show where the main idea begins, and the other commas separate the list items. - 3
Add a comma to this sentence: After the rain stopped the children went outside.
Find the part that tells when the children went outside.
After the rain stopped, the children went outside. The comma comes after the introductory phrase. - 4
Add a comma before the conjunction if it is needed: I wanted to ride my bike but my tire was flat.
I wanted to ride my bike, but my tire was flat. A comma is needed before but because it joins two complete thoughts. - 5
Rewrite the sentence with correct commas: The museum had paintings statues fossils and old maps.
Each thing the museum had should be separated from the next thing.
The museum had paintings, statues, fossils, and old maps. The commas separate the items in the list. - 6
Add commas where needed: In the morning we fed the dog watered the plants and made our lunches.
In the morning, we fed the dog, watered the plants, and made our lunches. The first comma follows the introductory phrase, and the other commas separate actions in a list. - 7
Choose the sentence that uses commas correctly. A. Before lunch we read our books, and cleaned our desks. B. Before lunch, we read our books and cleaned our desks. C. Before, lunch we read our books and cleaned our desks.
The phrase Before lunch comes before the main part of the sentence.
Sentence B is correct: Before lunch, we read our books and cleaned our desks. The comma belongs after the introductory phrase, not between the two actions. - 8
Add a comma before the conjunction if it is needed: Lena studied hard and she did well on the quiz.
Lena studied hard, and she did well on the quiz. A comma is needed before and because it connects two complete thoughts. - 9
Add commas to make the sentence clear: My favorite animals are dolphins tigers owls and rabbits.
List items are usually separated with commas.
My favorite animals are dolphins, tigers, owls, and rabbits. The commas separate the animals in the list. - 10
Explain why the comma is used in this sentence: During the storm, the lights flickered.
The comma is used after During the storm because that phrase introduces the sentence and tells when the lights flickered. - 11
Add commas where needed: When the bell rang the students lined up quietly.
The words When the bell rang come before the main sentence.
When the bell rang, the students lined up quietly. The comma comes after the introductory clause that tells when the action happened. - 12
Rewrite the sentence with correct commas: We can visit the park or we can stay home and play a game.
We can visit the park, or we can stay home and play a game. A comma is needed before or because it joins two complete thoughts. - 13
Add commas where needed: At the beach we collected shells built a sandcastle and watched the waves.
Start by finding the phrase that tells where the action happened.
At the beach, we collected shells, built a sandcastle, and watched the waves. The first comma follows the introductory phrase, and the other commas separate the actions in the list. - 14
Is the comma correct in this sentence? The kitten slept on the blanket, and purred softly. Explain your answer.
The comma is not correct. The sentence should be: The kitten slept on the blanket and purred softly. A comma is not needed because and joins two actions with the same subject. - 15
Add all needed commas: Because the bus was late we waited sang songs and played word games.
This sentence has both an introductory clause and a list of actions.
Because the bus was late, we waited, sang songs, and played word games. The comma after the introductory clause shows where the main idea begins, and the other commas separate the actions in the list.